In a series of six posts, I’m explaining how we can break free from our addiction to social media using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures. These teachings come from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five strategies for overcoming strong urges. I’m referring to it as “the Social Media Sutra.”
In this context, “thinking” isn’t just about inner dialogue or self-talk but also the emotional urges tied to these thoughts. For example, the compulsion to use social media or surf the internet is considered a type of “thinking.”
The first method involves directing our attention to something positive in our experience. The second strategy is examining the drawbacks of our negative activities. The third focuses on reducing temptation.
Now, let’s look at the fourth method from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta and see how it can help us handle social media addiction. This fourth tool is about “stopping the formation of thoughts.” While it might sound great to have an off-switch for our thinking, it’s more about learning to dial it down.
The discourse advises that if none of the previous methods quiet our negative thoughts and urges connected to desire, hate, and delusion, we should focus on stopping the formation of thoughts. By doing this, those harmful thoughts fade, and our mind becomes still, settled, unified, and immersed in mindful absorption.
This might sound abstract, but there’s an analogy to help clarify: Imagine someone walking quickly. They might think, “Why am I walking so fast? Shouldn’t I slow down?” They slow down and then think, “Why am I walking slowly? Shouldn’t I stand still?” They stand still and then think, “Why am I standing? Shouldn’t I sit down?” They sit down and then think, “Why am I sitting? Shouldn’t I lie down?” So they lie down. This person is gradually moving from a more active to a progressively restful state.
The key takeaway here is that we often find ourselves moving at high speeds without realizing what’s driving us. By becoming aware of these driving forces, we can let go and slow down.
When our mind generates thoughts and urges that keep us engaged in compulsive online activities, some mechanism is driving these actions. By examining the causes behind our actions, we can allow our mind to rest.
For instance, if we’re mindlessly surfing the web, we might notice a sense of anxiety driving us, manifesting as an unpleasant sensation in our gut. One part of our brain considers boredom or missing out a threat, creating this sensation to alert us. Other parts of the brain then react to this feeling, pushing us to browse more content. The urge to surf and the accompanying inner dialogue form the “thought” we need to halt.
Feelings are crucial in Buddhist practice. The Buddha emphasized that everything converges on feeling because of the critical role feelings play in our experience.
Using social media or internet addiction as an example, the unpleasant feeling drives our behavior. By becoming aware of this feeling, we can choose not to react to it. Instead, we can observe it and recognize it as part of us that’s suffering. We can then extend compassion to it.
This mindful self-compassion creates a pause in which we can find a more thoughtful and kind way to act. With internet addiction, there’s always an underlying unpleasant feeling, which can vary from boredom to anxiety. However, we can train ourselves to face and accept our discomfort with kindness. This practice shifts us from reacting impulsively to responding wisely and mindfully.
Whenever I catch myself glued to the computer, obsessively reading articles, I use this approach. I recognize my suffering and turn my attention to my present feelings, usually a sense of discomfort in my gut.
When I’m not mindful, I interpret these unpleasant feelings as problems that need fixing. This often leads to a reactive response, like seeking distractions online. But when I practice mindfulness, I see these unpleasant feelings merely as body sensations created by a part of my brain that perceives a threat. I don’t have to act on these sensations. Instead, I can observe them and compassionately acknowledge the suffering part of me. Simple acts like touching my belly and expressing compassion — “May you be well, may you be happy, may you be at peace” — help.
Social media and internet addiction are driven by a desire to escape emotional pain. We can’t free ourselves from these addictive urges until we learn to face and embrace our pain with mindfulness and compassion. Cravings create an invisible cord between us and the object of our desire. By mindfully addressing the painful feelings behind the cravings, we weaken or cut this cord.
When I practice this mindfulness, my emotional connection to the internet and social media weakens. I find it easier to put down my phone or close my laptop and choose activities that are more wholesome and fulfilling.
So, this fourth tool, stopping the formation of unskillful urges, involves recognizing the feelings driving our thoughts and urges. By responding to these feelings in a kinder, more mindful way, we free ourselves from compulsive engagement with social media.
That’s the essence of the fourth method. Next, we’ll dive into the fifth part of The Social Media Sutra to continue exploring strategies for overcoming social media addiction.